Colloidal compound of antimony sulphide



jan. i6, H923,

L. V. MATHER.

ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 1 FiLED FEB. 6. 1922,

Jan. 16, R923 39442,@-38 L. V. MATHER.

ELEcTRoPLATlNG APPARATUS.

FILED FEB. 6, 1922. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 2 SWW/Moa ifi-42,438

Jan., 16, E923.

L. V. MATHER. ELEcTRoPLA-HNG APPARATUS.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3 FILED FEB.

wg 44m 2M fitto@ Jan. 16, 11923.

L. V. MATHER. ELEcTRoPLATING APPARATUS.

5 SHEETS-SHEE'I 4 FILED'FEB. 6, 1922.

jan. 16, )1923. EAMZAES L. V, MATHER. ELEcTRoPLATlNs APPARATUS,

FILED FEE, 6, 19224 5 SHEETS-SHEET 5 by avoiding the shielding of any part of the ,for conveying the current into the work,

lshowing the cathode bus bars and means for Fatentedl dan. liti, N523. llQMZQfJ@ 'narran STAWENT ELECTROPLATING APPARATUS.

, Application led February 6, 1922. Serial No; 534,289.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, LEWIS V. AMA'I'HER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in i Electroplating Apparatus, of which" the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The 4invention relates to apparatus for the electro-plating of articles and it is the object of the invention to obtain a construction with which the articles to be plated are progressively advanced through the electrolytic bath and are maintained in constant electrical connection with the cathode during advancement. It is a further object to .avoid deposition of metal on the cathode bus bar. `Also, to continuously change the point of contact with the work without interruption of the current, thererows longitudinally and transversely of the tank. These uprights are connected by transverse bracing bars C near the bottom of the tank and by transverse bars D at the top thereof, the uprights extending above the top to form a super-framework. Upon the transverse bars C are arranged longitudinally extending runways E, which are incllned slightly upward from the entrance end of the tank to the delivery end. Aplurality of runways are arranged in parallelism suitably spaced from each other. Each runway is provided with side flanges F which prevent the rims from running off the track and above the runways and secured to the posts B are the guides Cr for the work conveyor.

To conduct the current into the work cathode, bus bars are required, but there is great difficulty encountered in the 4arrangement and protection of such bus bars. Thus if the bars are placed below the surface of the electrolyte and are exposed to the solution,-they will be subject to continuous deposition of metal. y0n the other hand, if the' bus bars are above the solution, ,some means must be provided for conducting the current downward therefrom and into the work. 4 @ne of the features of my improvement is an arrangement of busbars immediately adjacent tothe path of the work but so protected as to avoiddeposi tion of metal thereon. These bars cooperate with a work conveyor formed chiefly of insulating material but containing conductor elements which are in electrical contact both with thebus bars and with the work. Thus the current derived from the bus bars is conducted into each rim or Aother articles which is propelled by the conveyor along the runway B, so that there is continuous deposition of metal upon the work while travelling through-'the tank.

surface forml the metallic deposit. A further object is to provide contact members together with means for preventing the building up of deposits on said members. With these and other objects in view thel invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings: j y

Figures 1 and la show opposite end por-X tions of the machine in side elevation;

Figures 2 and 2 `are plan views corresponding to Figures 1 and la;

Figure 3 is a cross-section;

Figure 4 is y an enlarged cross-section protecting the same and for drawing off the current; l

Figure 5 is a horizontal section through the part shown in`Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a side elevation thereof; and Figure 7 is an enlarged-section similar to a portion of Figure?) showing certain details of construction. A

1`While my apparatus is suitable for electro-plating of various articles, l have shown and specifically described an arrangement designed for the plating of vehicle wheel rims. A is the tank which contains the electrolyte and which is preferably formed of reinforced concrete. 'Within this tank is arranged a framework of insulating material preferably of wood, and including and extend longitudinally of the tank, being preferablyl formed of wood. Within these channels are the bus bars H and in front of the bus bars and closing the channel are preferably formed of wood. The width of the linksis such as to practically lill the channel with only sufficient clearance to permit'of free movement, and the ends of the links are mortised toV overlap acent links to which they are pivotallT attached. The

vertical posts or uprights C arranged in pivotal attachment is formed by shafts dr ln detail, the guides Cr are channel-shaped travelling links l of a conveyor chain, also which extend between the highways G in the path of the work and at the center of each shaft is a roller K for contact with the work. The portions of the shaft between the roller and the links is provided with a protecting insulating cover, preferably formed' of rubber tubes L sleeved thereon. The shafts are also shouldered at the point of engagement with the links as indicated at Jl and the portions J 2 of reduced diameter which pass through the links form the pivotal connection therefor. At the inner Vend of the portion J 2 is a pintle J 3 which engages slots M in spring contact members M which bear upon the bus bar. These contact members M are preferably attached at their outer ends to the links by bolts N and intermediate said point of attachment and the portion engaging the shaft J said contacts are` bowed outward to be pressed into yielding contact against the bus bar H. Thus while the bus bar is shielded from the body of the electrolyte outside of the channel members G by the links I, the current is nevertheless conveyed from said bus bars into the shafts J and rollers K and from the latter into the body of the work. The links I together -forman endless chain which passes around sprocketsOat opposite ends of .thel tank and returns through a path above the surface of the electrolyte. In this return path are arranged troughs P which receive the rolls K and which contain a stripping solution that Will dissolve olf the electrolytic deposit upon said rolls, therolls themselves being formed of an alloy which is uneffected by the strippin solution. Thus during the interval in w ich the rolls K are returning. they will be completely stripped of any electrolytic deposit so that building up of the rolls is avoided.

The anodes are preferably arranged in the space between ad'acent rows of work and are preferably of the following construction: A are anode bus bars arranged above the surface of the electrolyte andextending longitudinally of the tank, being supported from the'insulator framework therein. R are the anode Stoppers which are suspended from the bus bars and extend downward into the electrolyte in the space between posts C- and adjacent to the guides G. Usually the point of attack in the anode is a short distance below the top of the electrolyte and frequently the plate will be completely eaten throughout this point, while a considerable mass in the lower portion is still intact. I have discovered that by embedding in the anode plate a bar of higher electrical conductivity than the metal of which the anode is composed, a more uniform action upon the surface is obtained. As shown, a copper conductor loop R is cast in the center of the anode plate formed of zinc or other metal used in plating. The

upper portion of this loop projects above the upper end of the plate and forms a suspension means for attachment to the anode hooks R2. These hooks are preferably formed with a bifurcated portion R3 for embracing pairs of bus bars Q with a central depending hook portion R* which engages the loop R and an upwardly extending hook R-5 which may be engaged with the hoist (not shown)` for lifting out from or lowering into the solution.

lith the construction as described rims or other articles to be plated. having `previously been thoroughly cleansed, are fed otf of inclines S into the space between links I and rollers K while said link and rollers are passing around the sprocket wheel O. At the Same timethe rims are resting upon the runways E which, at the end of the tank, are curved downward concentric with the axis of the sprocket. so that the rims will be successively fed into the electrolyte and rolled along said runways by the propelling pressure of the contact rolls K. As the runways E are inclined upward from the entrance end to the exit end of the tank. the. rims will remain always in contact with the rear roll K so as to receive the electrical current therefrom. This current is supplied through the medium of the bus bars H. springs M and shafts J and as the rolls K are integral with the shafts and are in constant rolling contactwith the rims. there will be a continuous supplyl of current to the latter. The speed of movement through the electrolyte and the length of the tank is such that by the time the rims are lifted out of the solution at the discharge end. they will have been completely covered with an electrolytic deposit of sufiicient thickness to afford the desired protection.

lVhat- I claim as my invention is:

l. The combination with an electrolytic tank, of a cathode bus bar extending along said tank beneath the surface of the electrolyte, a work conveyor adjacent to said bus bar, a contact member for conveying the current from said bus bar into the work, and means for protecting the bus bar from direct electrolytic deposits.

2. The combination with an electrolytic tank. of a cathode bus bar extending longitudinally thereof beneath the surface of the electrolyte. an insulator trough in which said bus bar is placed, a work conveyor forming a sealing means for said trough to protect said bus bar from direct electrolytic deposits. and a conducting member carried b v said work conveyor travelling in contact with said bus bar and the work propelled by the conveyor.

3. The combination with an electrolytic tank, of al cathode bus bar extending therein beneath the surface of the electrolyte. an insulator trough in which said bus bar is located, a .work conveyor having insulator members for closing said trough to protect said bus bar from direct electrolytic deposit, a conductor member carried by said conveyor in travelling contact with said bus barto receive current therefrom, and an exposed contact on said conductor bearing against the work to conduct the current thereinto.

4. The combination with an electrolytic tank, of a conveyor for'l the articles to be plated having a portion travelling through the tank and formed of insulating material, contact members on said conveyor bearing against the work thereon, and submerged means protected from direct electrolytic deposit for conveying current from the cathode to said contact.

5. The combination with an electrolytic tank, of a link chain conveyor forpropelling the work through said tank and formed of insulating material, contact members carried by said conveyor and bearing against the work, a cathode bus bar extendlng within said tank beneath the surface of the electrolyte, an insulator trough surrounding said bus bar and receiving said link chain, said trough and chain protecting said bus bar fron direct electrolytic deposits, and an electrical connection between said contact and bus bar for conveying current into the work.

6. The combination with an electrolytic tank, of a cathode bus bar therein arranged beneath the surface of the electrolyte, a trough of insulator material within which said bus bar is located, a link chain conveyor formed of insulating material and running through said trough to protect said bus bar from direct electrolytic deposits, and an electrical contact member carried by said chain and maintained in electrical connection with said bus bar and with the work.

7. The combination with an electrolytic tank, of an insulator frame within said tank, insulator troughs mounted on said frame oppositely facing and extending longitudinally of the tank, a work conveyor having an insulator link chain, the links thereof travelling through said troughs, cathode bus bars within said troughs protected thereby and by said travelling links from direct electrolytic deposits, shafts of a conducting material extending between Vsaid links and maintained in electrical connection with said bus bars, roller contacts centrally arranged on'said shafts, and a runway for the work propelled by said roller contacts.

8. The combination with an electrolytic tank, of a frame within said tank, pairs of troughs or channel members formed of insulator material mounted o-n said frame and extending parallel to and facing each other longitudinally of the tank, cathode bus bars within said troughs or channel members, a conveyor chain comprising spaced ,links of insulator `material travelling through the channels of saidm troughs and forming closures therefor to protect said bus bars from direct electrolytic deposits, a shaft forming pivotal connection between longitudinally adjacent links and extending between parallel spaced links, said shafts being maintained in electrical connection with said bus bars, a roller bearing at the center of said shaft for contacting with the work propelled by said conveyor and for conducting current thereinto, and insulator sleeves on said shaft between said central contact and links to protect the same from deposits.

9. 'llhe combinationk with an electrolytic tank, of a work conveyor travelling through said tank, an electrical contact member on said work conveyor, means protected from direct electrolytic deposits for conveying current to said travelling contact, and means operating on said contact when out of the electrolyte for stripping therefrom the electrolytic deposit thereon.

10. The combination with an electrolytic tank, of an endless work conveyor having a portion .travelling beneath the electrolyte in said tank and a return portion lremoved from the electrolyte, a Contact member carried by said conveyor and bearing against the work, means protected from direct elec* trolytic deposits for conveying current into said contact when passing through said electrolyte, and means operating on said contact while passing through that portion of the orbit out of the electrolyte for stripping electrolytic deposits therefrom.

1l. The combinaition'with an electrolytic tank, of an endless work conveyor having a portion of its orbit beneath the surface of the electrolyte in said tank and a return portion above the surface of the electrolyte, a cathode bus bar within the tank shielded from direct electrolytic deposits by said work conveyor, a contact carried by said conveyor and travelling in electrical conllo nection with said cathode busV bar when beneath the electrolyte, and a guideway along which the work is propelled by said contact to simultaneously conduct electric current thereto.

l2. rllhe combination with an electrolytic tank, of an upwardly inclined runway in said tank, 'a work conveyor travelling through the tank, an electrical contact on said work conveyor forming the propulsion means for Ithe work alongsaid upwardly inclined runway, whereby electrical connection is constantly maintained therebetween.

13. The combination with an electrolytic tank, of an upwardly inclined runway passing therethrough, awork conveyor, a roller contact carried by said conveyor bearing against the work and constituting a propulsion means therefor along said upwardly inclined runway, means for supplying electri- 13o cal current to said conta-t and means for stripping said Contact of its' electrolytic deposits.

14. The combina-tion with an electrolytic tank, of a series of parallel runways in the lower portion of said tank extending longitudinally thereof and inclined upward, a series of parallel work conveyors respectively in the plane of said runways,tc ontacts on said conveyors constituting alsoypropul- Sion means for the work along sifid runways, and bus bars shielded from electrolytic deposits by said conveyors and in electrical connection with said contacts for supplying current to the work.

l5. The combination with'an electrolyt-ic tank, of a runway extending longitudinally thereof, a pair of guide-Ways on opposite sides of said runway and above the same, being of channel-shaped cross Section 'and formed of insulating material, cathode bus bars in said guide-ways, a work conveyor including a link chain of insulator material, links travelling in said guide-ways and shielding the bus bars therein from electrolytic deposits, shafts forming a pivotal connection for said links and extending across the .space between said guide-ways, contact rollers at the center of said shafts, and sleeves of insulating materia-1 for protect-ing said shafts from electrolytic deposits.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

LEWIS V. MATHER. 

